St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-24
Hon. John Kleiner Says There
Is Coal Galore in the
Il Black Hills.
He Is Anxious to See the Sioux
Reservation Thrown Open
To Settlers.
He Thinks Lobbying Would
Surely Kill the Dawes Bill
and Disapproves it.
He Doesn't Anticipate Any
Organized Opposition to the
Measure--Politics in it.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-The rooms
of Hon. John j. Kleiner, Of Pierre, are
headquarters for Dakotians who are
here on business. He is at the National
hotel, and has pleasant quarters. Hay-
ipg been member of the house for
four years from the Evansville district
of Indiana, he is well posted in legisla-
tive methods and has a wide and in
fluential acquaintance. No better man
could have been sent here to take
charge of the interests of the people de-
string the opening of the great Sioux
reservation. This afternoon he con-
scented to say a few things upon the sub
iect which is uppermost in the minds
of the people who live SO near the hills
and yet are so far removed from that
favored country. He said:
81 am anxious to have that tract of
country opened for several reasons. In
the first place, it costs almost two bush
els of wheat to buy one buShel OF coal.
The entire crop of the season, repre-
senting the labor, ambition and hope of
the year, is sold in order to keep The
people warm during the rigorous winter.
We are obliged to send to Scranton,
Lackawanna and the Lehlgh valley for
coal, and pay for hauling it .1,5OO miles,
when there is an abundance OF coal
within 120 miles of u.s."
'Where is all this coal you speak
of?''
"In the Hills. There are whole noun
tainS of it. If there were railroad be-
or,,hn rla
and the Hill country we could buy coal
for IS per ton or less. Now we have to
pay s11 to SIS per ton. The long haul is
what makes it costly. 1t is a terrible
hardship to the people. was fortunate
enough to be able to buy my coal last
September and to get 1t comparatively
cheap; that is, for $11 per ton in guam
tity. There are tens of thousands VINO
cannot do that"
"What other reasons are there for the
opening of the reservations '&-z@s-ss.s .4e-.
I'm general sense, it may be said,
that the opening of that great tract OF
land would benefit the territory and
rapidly increase the population and
wealth of the future state. There are
many people in this country. probably
at least hundred thousand who would
settle there inside of couple OF years.
They would bring thrift and enterprise
with them. and consequent wealth.. In
the next place, the people who are now
there on the east bank of the river
would be Immediately benefited. Bust
ness is languishing, and there is sense
of encouragement creeping over the
people on account of the fact that the
market is circumscribed. The Missouri
river is like the borderland OF the
universe. No matter what may be the
energy and pent up forces OF ambition,
they dare not 90 beyond that grim boun-
dary. Across the turbid waters may be
the promised land, as fair as that which
Moses viewed from Pisgah's summit;
but there is no possibility of crossing
over. No prOvidential hand is stretched
out to smite the waters and cause them
to divide, making highway for the con-
auering hosts of intelligence and pro-
gress to pass over. The law stands
there with flaming sword, like the
cherubim who guarded the gates OF par
adise, and no man can go into the great
ness and glory thereof"
"What progress are you making with
your Dill?'
sYou may say that we are satisfied.
Senator Dawes has been very cOnSid-
crate and consistently kind. He has
courteously listened to any and all sug-
gestions which have been offered; and,
although he has given Indian affairs
many years of study and philanthropic
thought, he has been pleased to listen
carefully to whatever is said to him by
those who come direct from the scene
and have practical knowledge of the
situation. There is no doubt that he
will do all for us that he deems wise and
advisable; taking into consideration al
ways the rights, present and prospective
of the Indians, who are the wards or the
nation. Senator Dawes will never allow
any consideration of business shrewd-
ness and SelfiShneSSS to blind him to
the rights of the Indians in all such
cases. We understand that, and would
not dare to deceive him. even If we
have come here determined that not
single untutored savage shall be in any
sense defrauded nor misled because of
our wishes and hopes and desires. The
Fonly way to succeed in this matter, or
/ in any measure which is presented to
congress, is to play fair in every sense.
No other course would wln."
.sHow about the statement that money
is to be used in the matter?"
''That is false. The people interested
are Door, and could not raise respecta-
BILE sum if they wanted to. Besides,
there is nothing so erroneous as the
TOO common impression that congress
men can be bought. l have had some
experience in these affairs. and L know
that congress and congressman are often
maligned by gentlemen of the press,
either Intentionally or otherwise. L
once read a book called Behind the
Scenes in Washington in which it is
k fn1 hot IQ
bought like so many slaves or chattels.
There may have been time, during
and after the late wal, when such things
were done as represented, but there has
been nothing of that kind to come I'M
der my observation during several years
of practical experience in congress. 1t
is absurd"
Il suppose that you often go on the
+ floor to lobby for this measure, don't
your"
"If I did, the measure would fail.
There have been instances wherein ex-
members of congress have abused the
privilege of the floor, and couple of
years ago the matter became so well
known that the privilege came near be-
ing withdrawn. The house very prop
erly frowns down all such methods. No
ex-member of congress can safely or
successfully pursue Sucn Il course. IL is
Improper. l am obliged to be East dur
Ing the winter; part of the time here
and part of the time in New York. My
private business compeiS this. While /
am in Washington l shall do all that l
/ can do for the Dawes bill, but l shall do
it solely and wholly as private citizen,
and not as an ex-member of the house.
My former position is beneficial to me
i'm the fact of the acquaintance and eX-
perience which it gave me-nOt as